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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — thin
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a music group
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a ring
  9. cue — a hint
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. court — for sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. court — of a king
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cue — for pool
  21. court — of law
  22. lean — to bend
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pitcher — in baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com